Spreading the word about Wyo. Democrats

Chris Rothfuss, running for the U.S. Senate from Wyoming against Republican incumbent Mike Enzi, sent out an opinion piece yesterday about the current economic mess. I spent a god portion of my Saturday dropping off bundles of material on Rothfuss & Carter & Trauner to county voters who requested absentee ballots. The idea is to get the material into the hands of undecideds as they are filling out their ballots. Many hadn't yet received theirs, and some just weren't happy that I was ringing their doorbell. But I did get into some fine conversations with some, and had some surprises along the way.

I stopped in front of one house in my assigned territory in Cheyenne south of I-80. A strategically placed flagpole flew the Marine Corps and POW-MIA flags. In the driveway, a huge pickup sported stickers for the Marines, Army Airborne, and those ribbons that popped up during the Iraq invasion. It's easy to jump to conclusions, having seen all of those members of the military used as backdrops for Bush's LSOS speeches. True, many veterans I've talked to are Republicans -- but not all.

Mr. R came to the door with his buzzcut and tattoos. Vietnam, I thought. And then I went into my spiel, showing him my Dem candidate flyers. He stopped me. "Got any yard signs for Trauner?" I said I didn't but could get him one. "How about Mockler?" I didn't have any signs for our Democrat running for mayor. I told him I'd contact her campaign. "What about stickers -- I drive all over the state and I can drop them off." I said I would get him all the stickers he needed. He took my material, noting that he wanted to see some new blood in Congress and the mayor's office.

As I thanked him and walked off, I thought about how dangerous it is to compartmentalize people. I also decided to leave my assigned task and go get this guy a yard sign and some stickers. He seemed a bit surprised when I returned quickly with the goods. When I drove away, he was planting the Trauner sign among the green grass and flowers and trees of his front yard. Later, I got into a conversation with a couple I'd say were in their late thirties. The man was Independent, the woman Republican, and their three boys, well, who knows? The man said he was leaning Democratic this time, both for president and Congress. The woman then admitted that she was too, at least in the Congressional races. She works for the school district and her three boys all were in public schools. Education was big with her, and she was dissatisfied with the current state of affairs. Nothing like discontent to get people to vote for change. That's real change, the Obama kind, not the fake McCain variety.

I know that walking neighborhoods talking about politics isn't everyone's cup of tea. I would have rather been lounging in my backyard, reading my Roddy Doyle novel, or spending time with my family or doing a thousand-and-one other things. But times are tough and strange and I have to do something about it. In the next decade or so, as we dissect the damage that Republicans did to this country, I want to be able to say I took a few small steps to change that.

Back to Chris Rothfuss's opinion piece.... I'm going to include a few paragraphs below and let you go to the candidate's web site for the rest. Here it is:

This train did not wreck itself, but nobody is taking responsibility. Through action, inaction, and failed oversight, Congress (both parties) and the Bush administration have crafted this economy. Political action committees (PACs) representing the financial sector contribute heavily to campaigns and lobby strongly against regulation. Unfortunately, there is no comparable force lobbying on behalf of the people for transparency, fair lending, and responsible asset management. The members of the House that voted for the bailout on Monday received an average of 51% more campaign contributions from the finance, insurance and real estate sector than those that voted against it. That’s no coincidence.

My opponent, Senator Mike Enzi, has worked diligently to deregulate the financial sector over his 11+ years on the Senate Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Committee. During this election alone he has received over $250,000 in contributions from finance, insurance and real estate PACs. That’s about $200,000 more than he’s received from the people of Wyoming. Senator Enzi has not been a casual bystander in our economic crisis - he has been instrumental in its creation.

John McCain's lies are mounting up into a big pile of...

Nick Carter drops by for a little chat

Nick Carter dropped into tonight's meeting of the Laramie County Democrats. He's been putting some hard miles on his motor home. The Democrat from Gillette has been campaigning for U.S. Senate in our part of the state, dropping into Cheyenne last Friday for a presidential debate party and then stayed over for Saturday's endorsement by the Federated Firefighters of Wyoming on the State Capitol steps. Tomorrow, he'll travel to Torrington and vicinity for some doorbell ringing.


The personal touch, that's what Wyomingites like. That's why candidates and supporters go door to door for some personal contact with voters. We still use phone banks, and sometimes gather for phone-calling parties. There will be one this Sunday in Cheyenne -- details to follow. But the old reach-out-and-touch-someone approach is losing some of its effectiveness. For one thing, we're mainly calling home phones. Nobody under 25 has a traditional home phone these days. And, as Tom Lee said tonight at our meeting, people don't answer their calls anymore. They screen their calls, in order to avoid the solicitors and worse -- push-polling calls from remote states by people who can't even pronounce our Governor's name. Some of the Dems have received these calls which are laden with traps and innuendos against Gary Trauner and other Democratic Party candidates. I hope I get one of these people calling me. I can't wait to record their number and turn them in. To whom, I don't know, but those who do push-polling are the lowest of the low.


Nick Carter is feisty. His campaign signs say "Wyoming tough." He is outspoken and persistent, I'll give him that. He calls Barrasso on his nonsense. He wonders how we can trust Sen. Barrasso on the energy issue, when he's taken a half-million dollars from energy companies. He must be tapping into the Cheney pipeline. Carter wonders how we can trust Barrasso (Dr. Barrasso) on healthcare reform when he's taken a half-million dollars from drug companies and healthcare conglomerates. He's puzzled about Barrasso's ability to vote correctly on issues affecting the economy when he's taken money from Sallie Mae and Freddie Mac.


Said Carter: "Every day I have to go out and raise money for a campaign against a guy who has $2 million in the bank from special interests." Carter advocates for real campaign finance reform in the form of federally financed elections. Barrasso does not, he added, noting wryly that the Doctor/Senator received federal financing in a roundabout way by accepting money from Freddie Mac and Sallie Mae who got gazillions of taxpayer funds in the recent bailout.


He asked a good question regarding the so-called bailout: "A company that is too big to fail is probably too big to exist."


Carter wants to emulate his hero Teddy Roosevelt by breaking up the big corporations "You need courage to break them up." You also need to get elected. To that end, local Dems will be conducting a literature drop throughout the county for Nick Carter and Chris Rothfuss, the Democrat who's challenging Sen. Mike Enzi. More than 30,000 flyers in the hands of voters -- or placed strategically in their screen doors. Interested in volunteering for this task on Oct. 11? Drop me a comment.

Read a banned book today!

The American Library Association conducts "Banned Books Week" this time each year. The date for 2008 are Sept. 27-Oct. 4. Please endeavor to read a banned book today.

The ALA's list of the “10 Most Challenged Books of 2007” reflects a range of themes, and consists of the following titles:
1) “And Tango Makes Three,” by Justin Richardson and Peter Parnell; Reasons: Anti-Ethnic, Sexism, Homosexuality, Anti-Family, Religious Viewpoint, Unsuited to Age Group
2) The Chocolate War,” by Robert Cormier; Reasons: Sexually Explicit, Offensive Language, Violence
3) “Olive’s Ocean,” by Kevin Henkes; Reasons: Sexually Explicit and Offensive Language
4) “The Golden Compass,” by Philip Pullman; Reasons: Religious Viewpoint
5) “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn,” by Mark Twain; Reasons: Racism
6) “The Color Purple,” by Alice Walker; Reasons: Homosexuality, Sexually Explicit, Offensive Language
7) "TTYL,” by Lauren Myracle; Reasons: Sexually Explicit, Offensive Language, Unsuited to Age Group
8) "I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings,” by Maya Angelou; Reasons: Sexually Explicit
9) “It’s Perfectly Normal,” by Robie Harris; Reasons: Sex Education, Sexually Explicit
10) "The Perks of Being A Wallflower,” by Stephen Chbosky; Reasons: Homosexuality, Sexually Explicit, Offensive Language, Unsuited to Age Group.

As far as I can tell, there are no Wyoming writers on this list, although a book by Cheyenne mystery writer C.J. Box is being challenged at one of the state's public libraries. There is one Colorado writer on the list: Lauren Myracle of Fort Collins, Colo. Terrific writer of books for tweens and teens. My daughter read "TTYL" when she was 12 and reports no permanent damage from the experience.

Trauner has ideas on better bailout bill

As we all know, the bailout bill tanked today in the U.S. House. I thought that the Dems had a deal on a good bill -- or at least a better bill than originally proposed by the Bushies -- and that the Repubs had decided to join in. Then the vote came, and the rescue/bailout/buy-in bill went down in flames.

My eyes are bleeding from the hours of commentary I just watched on the tube. It's a mess, to be sure, but who to blame? I'm usually content to blame the Republicans. "Nancy Pelosi hurt our feelings!" What a bunch of whiny babies. But did Pelosi have to drag out Bush's culpability one last time before the biggest vote in the House since it voted to change the name of "french fries" to "freedom fries." Why didn't the Dems whip the troops into shape and get the vote in, if that was the goal?

Just received an e-mail from Gary Trauner's campaign for the U.S. House seat being vacated by Repub Barbara Cubin (she voted for the bailout, by the way). Gary could be in that seat come January, so let's see what he has to say:

Today Congress rejected the flawed bailout bill by a narrow margin, showing once again why real leadership matters in Congress, now, more than ever.

Trauner stated, "This flawed bill would not have limited CEO pay, or stopped CEO Golden Parachutes, and there was no truly independent oversight. During this time of crisis, career politicians in Washington D.C. are pointing fingers and playing partisan games. We need a bill that doesn't give Wall Street a blank check and puts into place real protection for taxpayers, like I specifically proposed last week."

Trauner continued, "So far, since this crisis has started, we have heard nothing from our sitting Congresswoman, and the best I can tell, the closest Cynthia Lummis has come to addressing the bailout is proposing to privatize Social Security. Privatization would prop up Wall Street by risking our Social Security in a stock market that is tanking as we speak."

So here is my proposal:

• In return for any purchase of bad assets held by private entities, we. the taxpayers, get a contingent stake in any company -– so if the assets are not worth the paper they are written on, taxpayers don't get burned and companies do not get off scot-free for bad behavior.


• The Government institutes direct oversight of these businesses and regulates them much like banks are regulated today.


• No golden parachutes or huge paydays for the CEOs and executives who got us in this mess in the first place. In fact, we should be taking money back from them. And if they've been irresponsible, they should be banned from future work in the securities industry.


• If we are going to bail out Wall Street, then we need to take care of Main Street as well – there must be provisions that ensure that we do everything we can for well-intentioned primary homeowners -– not investors or speculators -- who are at risk of foreclosure so they cans stay in their homes, either as owners or renters.

Dems meet Tuesday, prep for Veep debates

The monthly meeting of the Laramie County Democrats will be held at the Plains Hotel in downtown Cheyenne on Tuesday, Sept. 30, 7 p.m. All attendees at the meeting will receive an English-Palin dictionary in order to really understand what she will be saying at the Thursday evening Veep debates with Sen Joe Biden. While on any given night Biden can make mincemeat out of a poser like Palin, his job is made tougher by the fact that she speaks in an unknown tongue -- when she's allowed to speak by Big Daddy John McCain.

Palinspeak was spoofed on Saturday Night Live's opening sketch this past weekend. Katie Couric (played by Amy Poehler) asks Gov. Palin (Tiny Fey) about the bailout (this excerpt from Crooks and Liars blog):

“PALIN”: “Like every American I’m speaking with, we are ill about this. We’re saying, ‘Hey, why bail out Fanny and Freddie and not me?’ But ultimately, what the bailout does is, help those that are concerned about the health care reform that is needed to help shore up our economy to help, uhhh, it’s gotta be all about job creation too. Also, too, shoring up our economy and putting Fannie and Freddie back on the right track, and so health care reform and reducing taxes and reigning in spending… 'cause Barack Obama, ya know, has got to accompany tax reductions and tax relief for Americans, also, having a dollar value meal at restaurants. That’s gonna help. But 1 in 5 jobs being created today under the umbrella of job creation. That, you know. Also…..”

The blog Orange Crate Art compares Palin, Orwell and the English language. Truly scary.

As George Orwell points out in “Politics and the English Language,” one need not take on the responsibility of thinking when composing sentences:

You can shirk it by simply throwing your mind open and letting the ready-made phrases come crowding in. They will construct your sentences for you — even think your thoughts for you, to a certain extent — and at need they will perform the important service of partially concealing your meaning even from yourself. It is at this point that the special connexion between politics and the debasement of language becomes clear.

So, not only will debate watchers need a translation key, they also will need to bone up on their George Orwell. This will also help as you watch John McCain speak. And George Bush? I doubt if even Orwell could have conjured such a mangler of language.

Local Dems will gather for the Biden-Palin event on Thursday, Oct. 2, 7 p.m., at Applebee’s on Dell Range Blvd., in Cheyenne.

Still time to enjoy "Eat Locally Month"

Sheridan's Samuel Western wrote about the state's farmer's markets in a Sept. 22 article on Wyofile. Western tallied 27 Wyoming farmer's markets, with the Cheyenne Saturday market in Cheyenne as the oldest of them all at 25 years. That reminds me, today's Saturday, and I feel a need for seed-bearing victuals. I'll be out buying fruit and veggies until it's time to walk local neighborhoods for Gary Trauner.

One problem experienced by local markets in Wyoming -- antiquated rules. Western follows the saga of the Welde Family of Sheridan County trying to get their breads and pies sold at market. Not nearly as easy as it sounds....

Read the entire article at http://www.wyofile.com/wyoming_farmers_markets.htm

Debate winner depends on P.O.V.

Who won the debate tonight depends a lot on your point of view.

Part of the time, I watched through my 57-year-old eyes. I'm closer in age to Barack Obama, but my life experiences are more akin to those of John McCain, 15 years my senior. No, I wasn't a P.O.W., and I didn't marry an heiress. But I did grow up during the Cold War and Vietnam, and those experiences shaped me. Despite my liberal outlook, the old battles and grudges of the Soviet-U.S. face-off are still with me. One big Super-Power against another. The Arsenal of Democracy vs. the Gulag of Godless Communism. I know that the world is a much more complicated place. But I can't change my life's building blocks. And neither can John McCain. Tonight, when he went off on a long diatribe against Russia invading Georgia and Putin being a Soviet apparatchik in the KGB, I knew what he was talking about. I grew up with that kind of lingo, that sort of world view.

But Glasnost started in the 1980s and the Berlin Wall fell in 1989. My son turned four that year. The Soviet Union was gone by the time my daughter was born in 1993. Talking to them about the Soviets and apparatchiks and the Cold War and all the rest is like talking to them about the Crimean War (McCain mentioned Crimea tonight, which made me recall all the lines to Tennyson's "The Charge of the Light Brigade"). This is ancient history to my kids. They like history. But it's not current events. It's not NOW.

And that's what Obama talks about -- NOW. Health care and student financial aid and housing foreclosures and Iraq and Afghanistan. Stuff that is happening NOW and not THEN, back in the old days when the Soviets existed.

How do the young people see McCain? As someone who was born during the Great Depression, was a kid during World War II, went to Vietnam in its early days, and now is old as the hills and twice as dusty. He could be their grandfather of even great-grandfather. Obama? He could be their father. He has a pretty wife and two little kids. He's a guy with energy and vision. He's a guy they can relate to, and work hard to elect.

Who won the debate? Ask a 23-year-old.

If Ole Miss debate gets cancelled, pick up a good Mississippi book

Put aside the fact that presidential debates these days aren't much more than exchanges of policy statements. It's still a good thing to see your candidate matched up against the other. This time, we may get excellent speaker and debater Barack Obama matched up with a chair. It's possible that the chair may be more animated than John McCain.

McCain is busy, you see, screwing things up in D.C. And he's not even president! As soon as McCain flew into negotiations about the big bailout, those negotiations fell apart. If this is how he handles this crisis, what would he do as Commander-in-Chief?

So what about the debate? I've been checking out several of the fine Mississippi progressive blogs and they have no definitive answer. But they do provide some great reading and a lot of info on local and state politics. Check out Cotton Mouth and the Natchez blog. The Natchez bloggers were on the scene at the DNC in Denver and seemed to be right on top of things.

As you probably know, the debate is supposed to be held in Oxford, site of University of Mississippi or "Ole Miss" as its alumni and fans refer to it. Oxford also home for the Center for the Study of Southern Culture. On the web, you can locate info about your favorite Miss. writer at The Mississippi Writers Page. The lists are a who's who of the country's best writers in the past century: William Faulkner (in photo, looking upon the proceedings with jaundiced eye), Eudora Welty, Barry Hannah, Nevada Barr, Richard Wright, Larry Brown, Richard Ford, Rick Bass, Elizabeth Spencer, Beth Henley, Lewis Nordan, Etheridge Knight, Walker Percy, Tennessee Williams, John Grisham and Brad Watson (currently teaching writing at University of Wyoming).

So, if the debate is postponed or cancelled, I suggest you hunker down with a good book by one of these writers. You'll learn more about humankind on those pages than you would at any political function.

Photo: From the Cofield Collection

Same ol', same ol', for McCain

Nick Carter gets Firefighters endorsement

From a press release:

Nick Carter, Wyoming Democratic nominee for U.S. Senate, has won the coveted Federated Firefighters of Wyoming (FFW) endorsement. Joe Fender, President of FFW, will officially announce the endorsement at an event in downtown Cheyenne to be followed immediately by press availability.

Federated Firefighters of Wyoming to Endorse Nick Carter for US Senate at 2 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 27, on the front steps of the Wyoming State Capitol. Carter will accept the endorsement of the FFW and will also be making a major announcement. The press and public are invited and encouraged to attend. Post event press release and pictures will be forthcoming Saturday afternoon. The Federated Fire Fighters of Wyoming represent 85 percent of Wyoming's Professional Fire Fighters and protects half of Wyoming's population. They are a state affiliate of the International Association of Fire Fighters.

FMI: Eric Hevenor at 307.682.2425

Pound the pavement this weekend for Dems

Lauri Kay Elbing keeps giving me all sorts of great material to put on the blog. We're down to the last 40 days and nights of this year's campaign, and things are really getting interesting. On the local scene, we have great Democratic candidates running for the legislature. The balance from Laramie County is now 6 Republicans and 4 Democrats. We want to turn that around to 6 Democrats and 4 Republicans. We need more Dems in the legislature to help Gov Dave accomplish his goals for the final two years of his second term. Get out and pound the pavement this weekend.

Here's more info from Lauri:

They always say, if you want something done, ask a busy person. To that end, I am writing to you because of your leadership and interest in this year’s campaigns as well as your record of solid volunteerism. Our Congressional and Legislatives candidates are in the home stretch of a long and brutal campaign…and volunteers and their time are at a premium, and leaders like you are even more rare. We can’t do it without your help and support….and time is short.

There will be nearly 15,000 absentee votes cast over the next week all across Wyoming. It is not difficult to see that the margin of victory could be decided this weekend in many races…including one that we lost by just 1,000 votes two years ago. We cannot allow that to happen again. We need to get our message out to these citizens about our great candidates. To that end, a major canvassing operation has been planned for this weekend and if you aren’t already signed up to help, I hope you will consider spending just a couple hours this weekend.

Can you help us knock on the doors of absentee voters in your neighborhood on Saturday or Sunday? Two hours helps us touch base with 50 early voters. Bringing yourself AND a friend helps us connect with 100 early voters!

Coordinated Campaign Regional Field Coordinators:

Aaron Owens: Laramie, Goshen Counties 307-399.0898, aaron@wyomingdemocrats.com
Paula Hanson: Laramie County (shared with Aaron Owens) 307.635.3130 paula@wyomingdemocrats.com
Bryan Watt: Carbon, Albany County, 307-660.0614 bryan@wyomingdemocrats.com
Rey Fuentes: Sweetwater, Uinta, Lincoln Counties 307-679.4125
Katie Lass: Natrona, Washakie Counties: 307-680.6128 katie@wyomingdemocrats.com
Dana Walton: Converse, Platte, Niobrara Counties 307-258.1825 dana@wyomingdemocrats.com
Andrew Simons: Crook, Weston, Campbell, Johnson, Big Horn, Park Counties
307-221.2954 andrew@wyomingdemocrats.com
Meg Michelena: Sheridan Counties 307-752.7460 meg@wyomingdemocrats.com
Brian Peterson: Teton, Sublette Counties 307-229.630.0437 brian@wyomingdemocrats.com
Scott Porot: Fremont, Hot Springs Counties 213.814.8820, scott@wyomingdemocrats.com
Hanna Thompson: Sweetwater County (shared with Rey Fuentes) 371.1630 hanna@wyomingdemocrats.com

CHEYENNE volunteers:

Saturday from 10 a.m.-noon, 1-3 p.m., and 4-6 p.m.
Sunday will be from 2-4 p.m. and 4-6 p.m.

Email Aaron@WyomingDemocrats.com or call at 307.635.3130 to set up your shift and get instructions.

Visit http://www.traunerforcongress.com/free_details.asp?id=51 to find a Coordinated Campaign office near you.

We have 40 Days and no more to pull off a few miracles and I know we do it. The lesson that we learn every election cycle is that every vote counts and getting people to the polls and excited about our candidates is the end game….Like you, my goal is to have no regrets on November 5th and to do everything humanly possible to put
these candidates over the top.

We all need encouragement to keep going periodically and I appreciate that we all lead busy lives, but this is a finite commitment, the results of which will impact our lives and our future. A very practical and powerful objective in Wyoming is to secure a Congress that will work with the Obama Administration. Let’s send as many Democrats to Washington, D.C., as possible to support the agenda of President Barack Obama.

Secondly, I wanted to let you know that we have an honest to goodness Statewide Coordinated Campaign underway… I would also encourage you to contact your County Democratic Party Chairperson to see what you can do to support this effort and to see if there is a special role you may take on.

There will be three major walk weekends, including this weekend and the weekend before the election. The more feet on the ground, the more votes at the polls. From literature drops, phone calling (voters and volunteers), addressing post cards, basic office work…there is much to do and the list goes on….but it IS achievable.

LarCoDems plans next 40 days and nights

Lauri Kay Elbing is the communications director of the Wyoming Democratic Party. She was at the meeting of the Laramie County Democrats tonight reminding us that we're in the last crucial weeks of this election and we need to get out and work hard for our candidates.

She also advised to take some time out for partying. You don't have to tell us twice...

Here are the Democratic parties slated for the next 40 days or so:

Friday, September 26, 6 p.m.: Presidenial candidate debate party at the Plains Hotel in downtown Cheyenne. It is possible that the debate will be between Democrat Barack Obama and an empty chair.

Tuesday, September 30, 7 p.m., monthly meeting of the Laramie County Dmocrats at the Plains Hotel in downtown Cheyenne.

Thursday, October 2, 7 p.m., vice-presidential candidate debate party at Applebee’s on Dell Range Blvd., on strip mall row in Cheyenne. It's possible that the debate will be between Sen. Joe Biden and and empty chair.

Saturday, October 4, 7 p.m., presidential candidate debate party at Godfather's Pizza on Yellowstone Ave., near my house in Cheyenne.

Tuesday, October 14, 7 p.m., the final presidential candidate debate at the Plains Hotel in downtown Cheyenne.

Tuesday, October 28, 7 p.m., the final pre-election for the LarCoDems at the Plains Hotel in downtown Cheyenne.

VICTORY PARTY: Tuesday, Nov. 4, 7 p.m. until whenever at the Plains Hotel.

Absentee ballots will be landing in mailboxes tomorrow and Friday. If you get one, fill it out with the appropriate Democratic slate and mail it in.

Remember that pre-voting starts tomorrow.

FMI: Lauri Kay Elbing, 307-634-3367 (office), 307-277-1187 (cell), lauri@wyomingdemocrats.com

Lummis press secretary leaves campaign "of her own volition"

This isn't exactly breaking news, now that it's been covered all days in the press and on the blogs. But here's the latest update on "Phonegate" from Matt Joyce at the AP:

CHEYENNE, Wyo. (AP) — Republican U.S. House candidate Cynthia Lummis said Wednesday that her press secretary was leaving her campaign after a report that the staffer called in to a rival's news conference and used a fake name to pose a question.

Lummis told The Associated Press that she did not ask Rachael Seidenschnur to call the news conference held Tuesday by Democratic opponent Gary Trauner and was not aware that Seidenschnur planned to do so.

Lummis said Wednesday that Seidenschnur had decided to leave the campaign.

"She is concerned that she doesn't want anything to reflect poorly on the campaign, and she has made the decision on her own volition to leave the campaign," Lummis said in a telephone interview.

When asked her opinion of the appropriateness of the call, Lummis said: "Well, I support transparency, that's the best policy, but as I said she chose to leave of her own volition."

Lummis "Mole" calls in to Trauner event

I can't be too hard on Cynthia Lummis's press secretary, Rachael Seidenschnur, for her attempt via phone to derail Gary Trauner's press conference yesterday. For one thing, she has that name to deal with. Sounds like a character from a Mel Brooks movie. For another, she says she was just trying to be helpful.

Let me set this up for you. We (Trauner staffers, the press and me) were gathered in the lobby of Gary Trauner's Cheyenne office. Gary addressed the current economic crisis. He rolled out some great ideas, some outlined in previous posts. And then he took questions from those gathered in the room. And then he turned to questions from the phone on the podium. The call-in number had been widely reported, so members of the press -- and anyone else -- could call in. Elsa Partan from Wyoming Public Radio asked some good questions about the bailout plan. She wondered if the candidate advocated a monthly review of any legislation. She also asked if he supported the plans by some Democrats to add to the legislation ways to help homeowners.

And then a woman's voice came over the speakerphone. At first it sounded as if her name was Sara. Gary leaned closer and gathered that her name was "Sierra." She identified herself as "a supporter." She didn't say a supporter of who or what. Then the woman with the fake name asked her question. My notes only show a snippet of the question: "...would you vote with Pelosi and the Democrats...." It sounded like a loaded question, but it also sounded lame. Fortunately for us, Mead Gruver of the Associated Press had an audio recorder.

Here's what the caller said, as recounted in an AP story:

"I have a question. This is Sierra. I'm just a supporter. I was curious about whether Mr. Trauner supports, or if he'd been in the House would have voted for Nancy Pelosi's and the rest of the Democrats' energy bill this past week."

Trauner asked the caller who she was. After the caller repeated that she was a supporter, Trauner steered the conversation to the topic of the news conference.

According to my notes, Gary told her that the question was off-topic and that she should call him at his office and he could answer her question.

Do you think Sierra will call Gary's office today? She's a supporter, after all.

The AP called Seidenschnur and questioned her about the call. Here's what she said:

"I was curious about getting information to people concerning the Pelosi question. And it's a public thing. And I was curious. I wanted folks to know. I think that was a fair question. It wasn't in any way, you know, derogatory."

The AP also received phone records from the Trauner office which showed a listing for Seidenschnur's cell phone number. Caught red-handed!

Trauner said:

"That's not the kind of thing I would ever do, and I think to myself, 'Is this really the kind of person we want to send to D.C.?' "

Thing is, Seidenschnur has already done her time in D.C. as press secretary to Rep. Barbara Cubin, the Republican that Gary's trying to replace. Seidenschnur served as Cubin's press secretary until a few weeks ago.

Makes you wonder about the quality of people Lummis picks for her staff. Cubin retreads. If elected, would her next two years in Congress be more of the same?

Gary was right to be suspicious of the caller. When the press conference was over, I heard whisperings from some people about the caller being a "mole." To be a mole, you have to be somewhat effective at burrowing into a situation and finding out stuff. Perhaps if the Lummis staffer had been a bit better at theatrics, she would have yielded better results.

All this would be laughable if it wasn't for other Republican hijinks during this election year. If you've been reading the papers, you'd know that "caging" is a tried-and-true Repub tactic to keep Democrats from the polls.

Citizens! Beware of phone calls from Sierra and her fellow travelers!

More on the Trauner press conference

Here's the press release on the Trauner speech today in Cheyenne:

Democratic Congressional Candidate Gary Trauner says there should be no blank checks for the financial companies lining up for a federal bailout. He laid out a list of conditions he would push for if he were elected to Congress.

Chief among them was the elimination of golden parachutes and huge paydays for the CEOs and executives who are responsible for the problems. "In fact," says Trauner, "we should be taking money back from them. And if they've been irresponsible, they should be banned from future work in the securities industry."

Trauner added the following conditions for the bailout:

1. In return for any purchase of bad assets held by private entities, we, the taxpayers, get a contingent stake in any company – so if the assets are not worth the paper they are written on, taxpayers don't get burned and companies do not get off scot free for bad behavior.

2. The Government institutes direct oversight of these businesses and regulates them much like banks are regulated today.

3. If we are going to bail out Wall Street, then we need to take care of Main Street as well – there must be provisions that ensure that we do everything we can for well-intentioned primary homeowners – not investors or speculators - who are at risk of foreclosure so they cans stay in their homes – either as owners or renters.

Trauner warned that the bailout doesn't address the root causes of the problem, such as a lack of transparency and oversight, financial investment that no one understands, and investments like credit default swaps.

"This crisis is the direct result of 8 years of thinking that markets don't need regulation; that we don't need to have rules or enforce the ones that exist. That somehow "the market" will solve everything," Trauner said. "It's like playing a football game without the referees."

Trauner press conference in Cheyenne

Gary Trauner, Democratic candidate for Wyoming's lone U.S. House seat, talked to members of the press and one lone blogger today in Cheyenne. The subject? It's the economy, stupido. While Gary talked, U.S. Senate members in D.C. were grilling Henry Paulson about his proposed bailout.

Said Trauner: "This bailout without accountability is a license to loot." As a businessman, he wants the specifics of the plan laid out for all to see. And he wants the Bush Administration and Congress to move quickly. "We can't afford two more days let alone two more years of Wyoming politicians doing nothing."

Those remarks seemed to be aimed at Wyoming's delegation, Republicans all, but particularly do-nothing Barbara Cubin and the Republican pretender her throne, Cynthia Lummis. He said that all Lummis wants to do is raise taxes on millions of Americans (the poor who now pay no taxes) and dismantle Social Security and put the money into private accounts. "Ask anyone with a 401(K) how their investments are doing," Trauner said.

When asked if one particular political party is to blame for this mess, Gary refused to name names. "No party is to blame. It's a philosophy that's to blame." That philosophy, he added, "holds that government has no role in oversight." It's the same philosophy that brought us the bungled response to Hurricane Katrina, the unnecessary Iraq War, and the privatizing of essential government services -- contracts that usually go to the buddies of the chief philosophers of the Republican Party. He added: "One party is more to blame. But the people in the Democratic Party share some of the blame."

The candidate offered some more specifics. I'll roll those out later....

Federal bailout without accountability? Trauner says "YOU'VE GOT TO BE KIDDING ME."

Silent auction items needed for Dem event

The Laramie County Democratic Grassroots Coalition is holding a silent auction at its Oct. 18 meeting. Please donate items by Oct. 1 to Louise Raimondi. Preferred items include gift certificates, collectibles, artwork, and political items from elections past and present. Call Louise at 307-635-1592.

The Oct. 18 meeting includes a chili supper and Democratic political candidates. It will be held at the VFW 1881 Hall in Cheyenne from 5:30-8:30 p.m.

To receive e-mail bulletins from the LCDGC, e-mail Linda Stowers at lpstowers at bresnan dot net.

I'm voting absentee for the first time

A talking head on one of Denver's TV stations said that it may take as long as 20 minutes for each voter to complete the state's very long general election ballot. This could mean Florida-like chaos in the Mile High City on Nov. 4.

The Wyoming ballot is much shorter. Still, I'm going to vote absentee this year for the first time. I have enjoyed trooping off to the polls since the first time I voted in 1972. As a Wyoming state employee, I get an hour off to vote. I wish that all employers in the state did this.

I'm not concerned that thousands of registered voters will show up and clog the lines at my precinct. I already know who I'm voting for, not just for president (Obama) but for state and local offices. No amount of negative advertising by John McCain could influence me.

Absentee voting begins in Laramie County on Thursday, Sept. 25.

Here are the details from the county clerk's web site:

Absentee voting begins 40 days prior to each election. For the convenience of Laramie County voters, the Clerk's Office has an absentee polling place located in the Atrium of the Laramie County Governmental Complex, 309 W. 20th Street. This polling place is open from 8:30 a.m. until 5 p.m. Monday through Friday for the 40-day period prior to the election. Voters wishing to cast an absentee ballot may visit this polling site or:

• Call 633-4242 to request a ballot which will be mailed to the address provided
• Write to P.O. Box 608, Cheyenne, WY 82003 to request a ballot
• Bring a written request to the Elections Office at 309 W. 20th Street and pick up a ballot

Absentee ballots must be received in the Clerk's Office by 7 p.m. on the day of the election to be counted.

There have been reports of voter intimidation at the Atrium during previous elections. Don't take any crap. Notify the county clerk of any untoward behavior at the polls. Also report it to the Laramie County Democrats. Or post a comment on this site.

And good luck to all you Colorado voters. You are going to need it.

Trauner holds Cheyenne press conference on U.S. economic crisis

On Tuesday, Sept. 23, 10:30 a.m., Gary Trauner will hold a press conference at his Cheyenne office about the state of the economy and the current legislation to bail out Wall Street. Trauner is the Wyoming Democratic Candidate for U.S. House of Representatives. His downtown Cheyenne office is at 211 W. 18th St. You can dial into the press conference by calling 712-451-6100, key code: 721718#.

FMI: Adam Ruff at (307) 699-4956.

I'm sure that Trauner will be advocating that Congress include some sort of oversight into the legislation for the mega-billion-dollar bailout for Wall Street. Sen. Chris Dodd outlined his plan today, as did Rep. Barney Frank in the House.

Senator Chris Dodd (D-CT), Chairman of the Senate Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Committee, will convene a hearing at 9:30 EDT tomorrow (7:30 a.m. MDT): “Turmoil in U.S. Credit Markets: Recent Actions Regarding Government Sponsored Entities, Investment Banks and Other Financial Institutions.” That's a mouthful. Expected at the hearing are Secretary of Treasury, Henry Paulson; Chairman of the Federal Reserve, Ben Bernanke; and Chairman of the Securities and Exchange Commission, Christopher Cox. A live stream of the hearings will be available on C-SPAN until 1:30 p.m. EDT.

Columnists on bailout: "Not So Fast!"

Here's a sampler of headlines about the proposed Wall Street bailout which appeared this morning on the New York Times op-ed pages. Note that they also represent three distinctive voices, from neo-con William Kristol to liberal Paul Krugman. Here they are, in no particular order:

WILLIAM KRISTOL, A Fine Mess. Synopsis: A friend serving in the Bush administration tried to talk me out of my doubts about the $700 billion financial bailout. I’m not convinced.
PAUL KRUGMAN, Cash for Trash. Synopsis: Henry Paulson is demanding extraordinary power for himself to deploy taxpayers’ money on behalf of a plan that, as far as I can see, doesn’t make sense.
ROGER COHEN, The Fleecing of America. Synopsis: World leaders converge on a battered New York this week for the United Nations General Assembly, my advice to them is: think Damien Hirst.

For more, go to your local newspaper's opinion page. Or to The Nation magazine, where William Grieder explains it all for you.

Just call me Sack Panther Palin

We bloggers scour the Internets for crucial news about war, famine, pestilence and Dick Cheney. As we perform this public service, we come across some humorous bits about Sarah Palin that we just have to share with our reader(s). This one comes via jhwygirl at 4&20blackbirds in Montana. If you go to the blog politsk.blogspot.com/2008/09/sarah_13.html, you can enter your real name into a name generator and find out what you would have been called had you been born to GOP Veep nominee Sarah Palin. Her kids all have real American names: Track, Trig, Bristol, Willow, and Piper. Not a Tiffany in the bunch. I entered my full name and came up with Sack Panther Palin. If that ain't a name fit for a politician from Alaska or even Wyoming, I don't know what is.

Pelosi: "Insulate Main St. from Wall St."

CNN Money reports this:

Democrats want the measure to include independent oversight, homeowner protections and limits on executive compensation, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., said in a statement early Sunday evening.

"We will not simply hand over a $700 billion blank check to Wall Street and hope for a better outcome," she said.

Pelosi said that Congress will take action on the bailout this week but will act "to insulate Main Street from Wall Street."

The current economic crisis, in pictures

Social Security: Trauner vs. Lummis

In an Associated Press article that appeared in the Casper Star-Tribune, Wyoming Tribune-Eagle, the Billings Gazette and a host of others, Cynthia Lummis is quoted as saying she wants to extend the income tax to the poorest Americans and, if elected, will advocate the privatization of the Social Security System. Cheyenne's Lummis is the Republican candidate for Wyoming's lone U.S. House seat. To her credit, she seems to have done a good job as the Wyoming State Treasurer. She demonstrated her money management skills by increasing the state's investment portfolio. I always admire anyone who can increase any investment portfolio, as I'm so lousy at it.

But privatizing the national safety net for retirees? Puts her on the same page with George W. Bush, Dick Cheney and John McCain.

Lummis's Democratic opponent, businessman Gary Trauner, had this response in the AP story:

Gary Trauner, Lummis's Democratic proponent, criticized Lummis's proposal to extend income taxes to people who aren't currently paying them.

"One in every five kids in this country is born and raised in poverty," Trauner said. "A large number of those people are living below the poverty line, and she wants to raise taxes on the people who can least afford it in this country?"

Trauner also opposes privatizing Social Security. He pointed to the tumult on Wall Street over the past week as one reason why.

"I would just ask how all of our millions of Americans that look forward to having Social Security as a safety net would feel today if we had privatized Social Security, and they had been in the marketplace, investing in the market for the last 10 or 15 years," Trauner said.

"They would have lost billions and billions worth of money just in the last week alone."

"Im having a hard time keeping up...

Writer James Crumley dead at 68

Many of you already heard about the death of writer James Crumley in Missoula. He was the writer of great hard-boiled novels such as "The Mexican Tree Duck" and "The Last Good Kiss." Hard-boiled characters from a hard-boiled guy. Great books, though, with a hard shell surrounding the tough, age-old strugle between right and wrong. You couldn't always tell the good guys from the bad. But that's the heart of the matter, isn't it?

Here are the literary facts from Crumley's obit:

Crumley has published 11 novels, taught at universities across the country and worked in Hollywood for several years. Famous for his hard-boiled mysteries, his works include “One to Count Cadence,” (a novel about Vietnam) “The Last Good Kiss,” “The Wrong Case,” “The Mexican Tree Duck,” “Bordersnakes,” “The Final Country,” and most recently, “The Right Madness.”

Lummis would bankrupt Social Security

I've been reading lots of stories the past couple days about how the Social Security System would have gone into a nosedive if we had sided with George Bush in 2006 and decide to vote for John McCain and Cynthia Lummis in 2008. In the past week, you may have lost some (or a lot of) value in your investments, including your 401(K). And you want to trust these people to handle your retirement?

Here's an update from Bill Luckett at the Wyoming Democratic Party:

In April, Congressional candidate Cynthia Lummis said that on her first day in Congress, she would try to privatize Social Security. Lummis also said she would try to raise the age at which Wyoming’s seniors and people with disabilities are eligible for the guaranteed Social Security benefits on which they depend.

This week, the Dow Jones Industrial Average lost more than 800 points, or more than 7 percent of its value. Privatization replaces the guaranteed floor of economic security with the uncertainty of the stock market. Individuals are free, of course, to invest their personal savings in the stock market – but Social Security guarantees a floor beneath which their fortunes will not fall and in Wyoming, 84,022 count on their earned Social Security benefit every month.

Social Security privatization would cut guaranteed benefits for thousands of future retirees in Wyoming by thousands of dollars, according to a new report released in August by the research arm of the Campaign for America’s Future. The report shows that more than 18,000 older people living in Wyoming would have a greater risk of falling into poverty, each losing more than $130,000 over the course of their lifetimes, by the time a privatization plan is fully implemented.

In addition to the benefits that Social Security provides to Wyoming families, it also provides a stable level of individual income that fuels Wyoming’s economy. Thousands of businesses, and the state government, also depend on the Social Security guarantee. Fully $1 billion in individual income flows into Wyoming’s economy from Social Security each year – roughly $84 million every month.

Again today, Bill Luckett asked Cynthia Lummis a simple question: “Why do you support privatizing Social Security and raising the Social Security retirement age?”

Background:

Planet Jackson Hole: “If you could put one law into effect on your first day of office, with zero opposition, what would it be? Why?

Cynthia Lummis: “I would restrict domestic non-defense discretionary federal spending to inflation minus 1 percent, make the Bush tax cuts permanent, raise the age of social security eligibility for post-draft era Americans, stop raids on the social security trust fund, limit federal Medicaid dollars to current amounts plus 4 percent per year allowing states discretion in crafting their programs, and authorize voluntary personal social security accounts.”
[“In the Hot Seat,” Planet Jackson Hole, 4/09/08]

The U.N.'s loss is Wyoming's gain

Contrary to previous reports in various Wyoming media, Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin won't visit the state next week. Instead, she'll attend the United Nations General Assembly in New York. No, she won't be speaking there. Instead, she'll be out on the streets with several American Jewish groups protesting a U.N. appearance by Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. Wonder if she'll be knocked to the ground by NYC cops and hauled off to jail as were the RNC protestors in St. Paul. Probably not.

A scheduled Republican fund-raiser in Jackson Hole will now feature Cindy McCain instead of Palin.

Maggie Scarlett, organizer for the fund-raiser, could hardly contain her excitement (CST quote): "Needless to say, we are disappointed Gov. Palin is not coming, in that she is indeed creating a lot of energy and excitement everywhere, not just in Wyoming. But to have the opportunity to have Cindy McCain come in is equally exciting to us."

Maybe Cindy will be wearing the same $300,000 outfit she wore at the RNC. Or some other $300,000 outfit.

The Repub fund-raiser will be held at Teton Pines, home to Dick Cheney and other nogoodniks. Cost of the breakfast fundraiser will be $250 and $1,000 to have a photo taken with Cindy McCain. For $2,500, participants can participate in a round-table discussion with Cindy McCain and former Wyoming U.S. Sen. Alan Simpson.

Only $2,500 for a roundtable discussion? How much is that per lie?

Wyoming's senators oppose passenger rail revival

Westerners talk with pride about how railroads built the West. But it never would have happened without U.S. Government subsidies and a sweetheart deal to the railroads. You know, capitalism -- or is that socialism?

Now Congress wants to restore passenger rail service to Rocky Mountain states. Fact is, it can't and won't happen without subsidies such as those enjoyed by passenger airline service in Wyoming. Maybe there are only so many subsidies to be had, what with capitalist giants on Wall Street begging for money lest they go the way of, say, passenger rail service in the West.

Yesterday's Casper Star-Tribune featured an article about Congress's attempt to restart rail service in the Big Square States. Note that Wyoming's two senators, Mike Enzi and John Barrasso, oppose it. Thanks to Laramie's Nancy Sindelar for e-mailing the tip, and providing a great anecdote to go with it: "I had to ride the dirty grey dog up from Denver on my way home from MNLPS/StP because the train no longer comes to Laramie." The dirty grey dog, in case you've never ridden it, is passenger bus service, namely Greyhound. Wonder if that gets a subsidy? Nancy also wondered if Enzi and Barrasso had voted for "The Bridge to Nowhere" for Alaska.

Here's segments of the CST story:

An Idaho senator says he is organizing a congressional delegation to push for the return of the Amtrak Pioneer passenger train to the western United States.

Republican Sen. Mike Crapo, along with Rep. Mike Simpson, support plans to bring Amtrak rail service back to Idaho, Oregon, Utah, Washington and Wyoming.

U.S. Sens. Mike Enzi and John Barrasso, R-Wyo., say they're reluctant to support the proposal, however....

In comments to the Star-Tribune Monday, Enzi pointed out that Amtrak has failed in the past to earn enough revenue to cover its costs in the most populated areas of the country, a problem that he said will require the work of Congress to correct.

Enzi said he would be willing to fully consider the impact of passenger rail service on Wyoming if Amtrak "can present a financially viable plan for the Pioneer train in the state." But he sounded doubtful.

"While rail service is good in theory, the reality is that the cost is rarely offset without digging into taxpayers’ wallets to provide heavy government subsidies," Enzi added.

Barrasso’s spokesman, Greg Keeley, struck a similar tone when he said that passenger rail service in Wyoming, while appealing, even nostalgic, has historically bumped up against some "stark financial realities."

“For the past 30 years, Amtrak has not demonstrated any real ability to provide reliable and cost efficient service in Wyoming,” Barrasso said.

CANCELLED: Legislative Candidate Forum

Nancy Sindelar, veteran activist and activist veteran, keeps track of progressive news and events around the state. If you have news for Nancy's calendar, e-mail it to all.laramie-owner@lists.riseup.net.

Here's an event from the calendar:

On Thursday, September 18, 6:30-8:30 p.m., in Cheyenne, there's a Legislative Candidate Forum sponsored by Wyoming Conservation Voters and the Wyoming Wildlife Federation. It will feature Wyoming House and Senate candidates for contested races in Laramie County. It's at the Historic Plains Hotel, corner of Lincolnway & Central Ave.

Info: 307-335-8796; darci@wyovoters.org, wyovoters@wyovoters.org

Fund-raiser in Denver Sept. 29 for Trauner

Christopher Findlater, publisher of wyofile.com, sends this invite:

I would like invite you to join me to support Gary Trauner in his run for U.S. Congress for the great state of Wyoming!

Gary Trauner is a solid Progressive Democrat who came within a 1,000 votes of winning in 2006. It is an open seat this time and in this climate of change thousands of new voters registered in Wyoming for Obama’s primary.

Five of the hosts for this event have donated $1,000 each. So we encourage you donate what you can even if you are unable to attend and I would ask that you send this invite out to your email list. Please note this event as “8 Rivers” in the memo field of any checks. The donation for those people that do attend or wish to donate would be a “suggested” $200. Any amount helps the cause!

The fundraiser will be held at 8 Rivers Restaurant, 1550 Blake Street, 5-7 p.m., in Denver's LoDo neighborhood on Monday, Sept. 29.

This is our year for change including in Wyoming!

EDITOR'S NOTE: The Wyoming Democrats held a reception for Walter Mondale at 8 Rivers Restaurant during the recent Democratic National Convention. The Carribean-style cuisine was good, and the place has an expansive bar. If there's a Rockies game that night, and you're a glutton for punishment, you could attend the reception and then stroll own to the ball game.

UPDATE: Just checked the Rockies schedule. Their season is over on Sunday, Sept. 28. And I mean over. Meanwhile, Gary's just getting started.

McCain's lies: the gifts that keep on giving

Don't miss Wyoming's Equality State Bookfest 9/18-9/20 in Casper

Wyoming boasts two successful statewide book festivals. Not bad for the least populated state in the nation. During odd years, the Wyoming Book Festival lights up Cheyenne. During even years, the Equality State Book Festival brings thousands of readers to events throughout Casper.

The 2008 Equality State Bookfest kicks off this Thursday with writing workshops, readings, history presentations and school visits by writers. The Wyoming Arts Council's creative writing fellowship winners will read with Colorado fiction writer Laura Pritchett at 1:30 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 18, at the Casper College Library. Jack Gantos, author of the "Rotten Ralph" series of children's books, will offer some tips (and a taste of his wild humor) on becoming a children's book author at 4 p.m. in Casper College's Wold Physical Science Center. The University of Wyoming's top-notch creative writing faculty offers workshops on Thursday and Friday. That includes fiction writer Alyson Hagy, nonfiction writer Beth Loffreda, and poets David Romtvedt and H.L. Hix. Bookfest co-director Laurie Lye tells me that there's still room in some of these workshops. Register now at http://www.equalitystatebookfest.org!

Friday's highlight will be Alexandra Fuller's 7:30 p.m. talk about her new book, "The Legend of Colton H. Bryant," a 2008 Book Sense selection. This nonfiction account of one young man from Wyoming and his tragic death in the oil patch has generated a flurry of controversy. It also takes the reader inside a dangerous occupation, one that's claimed a record number of workers' lives in the state this year.

Friday offers a continuation of the writing workshops and tips on oral history projects from Nebraska's Twyla Hansen at the National Historic Trails Center on the ridge above Casper. The evening features a banquet with keynote speaker Gary Ferguson of Montana. A poetry slam follows at the Metro Coffee Company.

Saturday is the big day, with a book fair at the Nicolaysen Art Museum downtown, a trout-fishing panel with national expert authors, and an array of panels on poetry, publishing, and "stories of the West." Laramie's Mark Jenkins will be there. A real treat, since he spends most of his time climbing mountains in Chile and kayaking Africans rivers -- and then writing about it.

One bit of friendly advice: don't miss the bookfest in Casper Sept. 18-20. If you have any questions, ask me, as I'm on the planning committee -- and have been from the beginning.

Supercomputer still set for Cheyenne

Jared Miller reports today in the Casper Star-Tribune that plans for a "major climate-modeling supercomputer in Cheyenne" are back on track.

After months of delay, and speculation that the project might be stuck in federal bureaucratic gridlock, the National Science Foundation acknowledged on Sept. 5 that it had approved the next stage of the work, which will focus on computer design.

"There have been milestones along the way, but this more recent one has everyone smiling a bit more, just because it is a critical step to the rest of the process," said Randy Bruns, chief executive officer for Cheyenne LEADS, the city’s economic development arm.

Wyoming officials have since early 2007 been singing the praises of the supercomputer, which is expected to be one of the largest in the world once complete.

Local and state officials predict it will raise the profile of the University of Wyoming, whose scientists will have access to a portion of the computing capacity. Some also expect the supercomputer to help establish Cheyenne as a hub for technology somewhat like the National Center for Atmospheric Research supercomputer did for Boulder, Colo., and could help diversify the economy in southeastern Wyoming.

The computer is expected to cost $60 million to build, and $530 million over its 20-year lifetime, according to the most recent estimates.The state Legislature contributed $20 million to the project in 2007.

The supercomputer is slated for construction on a 25-acre portion of land owned by Cheyenne LEADS just west of town.

Cheyenne Mayor Jack Spiker said the National Science Foundation announcement is a "huge confidence builder for the community and the entire state." Spiker said he envisions the supercomputer as an economic driver that will attract businesses to Cheyenne, and as a destination for tourists intrigued by one of the largest computers in the world. He noted that the visitor's center attached to a similar supercomputer in Boulder, Colo., reported 50,000 visitors last year.

This is good news for Cheyenne. It will diversify the economy and bring a shot of high-tech to a city known more for government offices, the Air Force base and its refinery and chemical plant that for supercomputing. Many of the jobs brought to the county since I moved here 17 years ago have been in the retail sector, where low-wage part-time work is the rule. The Wal-Mart Distribution Center, close to where the big computer will be built, has brought some decent-paying jobs with it. Unfortunately, many of its workers and managers have elected to live 45 miles south in Fort Collins, Colo., location of major high-tech facilities (H-P, Intel, etc.), a lively downtown, not to mention the best micro-brewery in the Rockies -- New Belgium. Techies love their craft beers.

The brainiacs who will run the new computer may or may not live in the area. It would be great if they did. While support staff can be hired from Cheyenne, our repository of supercomputer engineers is not large -- if it exists at all. Imports from bigger metro areas will expect a lively arts and culture scene. NCAR in Boulder, Colo., has attracted a cluster of high-tech businesses. But Boulder is also the home of the biggest university in the state (but not the best -- CSU gets that honor), another university (if you count hippy-dippy Naropa), and a very lively cultural scene. The Pearl Street Mall draws retro-hippies and Republican businessmen alike. It boasts a high percentage of college grads in a state known for the high education level of its citizenry.

To Cheyenne's credit, we have a very good symphony, an active local theatre company, the "2008 Public Library of the Year" library, Depot Square downtown, an expanding Botanic Gardens and all the activities surrounding July's Cheyenne Frontier Days. Our Greenway is one of the best I've seen anywhere. We have a new wind farm east of town slated to provide some of the city's power, and an up-and-coming reputation for water recycling and reclamation. Let's not forget the mountains, notably the Vedauwoo Rec Area with its great rock climbing and boulder jumping.

It's a great family town. From what I hear, it's not great if you're young and single. I haven't been in that demographic cohort for three decades. But that's what I hear.

I welcome the climate-modeling supercomputer. In the short-term, it won't change much. But we're all in it for the long haul.

I want a dinosaur just like the one great-great-great-great-great-grandpa had

Now that we know that Sarah Palin, McCain's running mate, believes that dinosaurs and humans coexisted and that global warming is a myth, it's time to take a look at the presidential candidates' views on science.

ScienceDebate2008 has been advocating a long time for a presidential debate on scientific topics. That's not going to happen. However, the organization has tracked the scientific views of the two candidates and now lists them side-by-side at http://www.sciencedebate2008.com/www/index.php?id=42.

I admit openly that I haven't read the entire list. So far, I don't see anywhere that McCain admits that his forebears in what is now Arizona had a pet Stegosaurus named Benny. But a look at his answers can reveal how far McCain has gone to kowtow to the Religious Right's view of life, the universe, and everything.

McCain's lies: 51 and still counting

So many lies. So difficult to track them all.

Until now.

As a public service, the Democratic National Committee has launched a "Count the Lies" page on its McCainPedia site. It spells out the whoppers emanating from the campaign of Mr. Maverick and Mr. Straight Talker. These have been tracked by independent nonpartisan fact-checkers.

The real story behind Palin's earmarks

From Congressional Quarterly:

CQ Politics blogger David Nather claims Sarah Palin's image as a fighter for earmark reform is central to the McCain campaign's narrative. Nather notes that while Palin doesn't claim she hasn't asked for earmarks, she leaves an impression that she's every bit as passionate a fighter as McCain against pork barrel projects.

However, thanks to the Web site of Sen. Ted Stevens, (R-Alaska), it's clear that the campaign narrative distorts her record. Palin submitted 31 earmark requests this year alone, totaling approximately $197 million.

In a memo e-mailed to reporters yesterday afternoon, the McCain campaign said Palin’s requests were a significant reduction from the record of the previous Alaska governor, Republican Frank Murkowski, whom Palin unseated in 2006. According to the campaign, Murkowski’s final request asked for $350 million in earmarks, according to the campaign.

Read the full story at: http://www.cqpolitics.com/wmspage.cfm?docid=news-000002947712.

Chattanooga goes green on electric buses

CHATTANOOGA CHOO CHOO electric buses are part of green initiatives in the city. The buses have been used since 1992 and run on big batteries. Travelers and conventioneers (such as me) take the buses from hotels to the aquarium and North Shore areas. Bookstores, too, such as Rock Point Books on Broad Street. A great store with staff people who know books.

McCain touts Bush healthcare plan

This comes from the DNC:

The Tulsa World reports that President Bush will conduct a business roundtable in Oklahoma City today to promote his failed plan for health savings accounts before heading off to a private closed door fundraiser for John McCain's campaign. [Tulsa World, 9/12/08: http://www.tulsaworld.com/news/article.aspx?articleID=20080910_16_A4_hHepla243517]

As part of his record of voting with President Bush more than 90 percent of the time, John McCain endorsed the Bush plan for health savings accounts even though the Wall Street Journal said was "dead-on-arrival in Congress in early 2007." This plan is a radical new scheme to tax health insurance benefits for the first time in history, provide more power to insurance companies, and give families a tax credit that covers only a fraction of average health insurance costs.

"It should surprise no one that President Bush is raising money for the candidate who is promising more of the same failed Bush policies on everything from health care to the economy," said Democratic National Committee spokesman Damien LaVera. "While millions of Americans have lost their health insurance in the Bush-McCain era, John McCain says we're better off than we were eight years ago and that the fundamentals of our economy are strong. No wonder he's promising a warmed over version of the failed Bush plan that won't do anything to help Americans find health care."

In search of elusive McCain bumper stickers

I've been in Chattanooga almost four days and I haven't seen a single bumper sticker or sign or T-shirt for Obama or McCain. Weird. Come to think of it, I haven't seen many bumper stickers for McCain in Wyoming the past months. Perhaps that will change now that McCain has drafted Superstar Supermom SuperGov Sarah Palin for the ticket.

My own unofficial survey of downtown Cheyenne has turned up more Obama bumper stickers that those for McCain. Last week in the state parking garage, I saw three Obama stickers and none for McCain. One of those Obama stickers was on my flex-fuel van. But there were two more!

I've seen a lot of worried faces on Democrats since McCain and Palin hooked up, and Palin began receiving tons of publicity. But take heart, fellow Dems, as Palin has received as many negatives as positives. On the airport shuttle, I met an ex-military man (21 years) named Todd who'd been in Alaska for eight years, most of the time in Wasillan outside Anchorage. He worked military security and knew the highway patrolman whom Palin fired (apparently with prejudice). His wife knew Palin and, he said, liked her policies but didn't like her personally. Todd and his hairstylist wife recently moved to Colorado. When Palin's name was announced, a woman told Todd's wife: "Look, she's got your hairstyle." Todd's wife said: "No, she's got mine."

In Chattanooga, I ran into an arts administrator from Oregon who lived in Alaska for a number of years. Palin tried to fire her husband, but her husband wasn't having any of it. Seems as if Palin's specialty if firing people. A good Republican. Instead of finding ways to keep good people and pay them good wages to look after affairs of state, she's more intent on saving money. Her aim is to keep expenses low in order to provide tax cuts, mainly for the wealthy, a strategy which takes up a huge section of the Republixcan Playbook. Bush did that on a grander scale. McCain wants to make those tax cuts permanent.

This is what happens when you elect government-hating people to run government. This is how you get dumbbells such as Brownie ("You're doing a heck of a job, Brownie") running major government agencies. Wonder who's minding the store during Hurricane Ike?

"Vote for Change" helps you register

This comes from Barack Obama's "Vote for Change" web site:

You'd be surprised how many people you know aren't registered to vote.

Registration deadlines are coming up soon, and we need every single vote we can get to win this election. Tell your friends, family, and neighbors to check out our new one-stop voter registration website. Just forward this message. VoteforChange.com makes it easier than ever to register. Instead of tracking down the right forms, all you need to do is answer a few basic questions and you'll be ready to vote.

You can also:
Confirm your existing registration
Apply to vote
absentee
Find your polling place

If you don't know your own registration status or you'd like to learn more, take a minute to visit the site right now. This race is too close and too important to stay home on Election Day. If you take the time to register and vote -- and make sure everyone you know is registered as well -- we'll be able to turn the tide of the past eight years. It's people just like you who will transform this nation.

My question is, once all these people are registered, how can we assure that they'll be able to get to the polls, vote once they're there, and that their vote will be tabulated accurately? We need a national voting system that will assure these things. Now we have this hodge-podge of country clerks and electronic/manual voting systems, and all kinds of different rules and regs.

Obviously Wyoming doesn't have the answer for all this. But it does offer same-day registration at the polls, which allows people to walk in, register, vote, and even change their registration after the fact if they wish.

I hope that Pres. Obama can insure a more fair polling system for all.

First, you have to get out and vote him in.

Speakers for WyoDem Dinner in Casper

Here's the list of guest speakers for Saturday's Jefferson-Jackson Dinner in Casper:

Governor Dave Freudenthal: Our two-term democratic governor set and met priorities to continue promoting a culture of bipartisan and state-wide cooperation – and to make permanent smart investments toward a stable future for Wyoming. He continues to focus on Energy and Transmission, Education, Health and Wellness, Infrastructure (Roads, Water and Sewer Lines), Quality and Excellence, Water and Drought, Wildlife and Open Spaces as well as Workforce Training. Last month, a Mason-Dixon poll published in the Denver Post found that Governor Freudenthal enjoys an 81% approval rating in our great state.

Gary Trauner: Gary Trauner, 49, is a husband, father, businessman, entrepreneur, community volunteer, and former elected official residing in Wilson, Wyoming. Eighteen years ago, he and his wife Terry chose Wyoming as the place they wanted to live and raise a family; they are now the proud parents of two Wyoming born-and-raised young boys - ages 14 and 8. Gary runs an old-fashioned, retail campaign for Wyoming's lone seat in the US House of Representatives and continues to take the high ground by focusing on the issues that really matter to the citizens of Wyoming. Gary's campaign centered on his wish to restore leadership, integrity, a commitment to service and a willingness to do the right thing, regardless of party or political consequences, for all the people of Wyoming. Gary has seen firsthand the issues that matter to most working people – how to pay for health care, how to achieve a quality education, how to juggle work and family, how to provide a decent living wage, and freedom from unreasonable government and corporate intrusion. We are proud and honored to have him as our Candidate for the US House again this year.

Nick Carter: One look at Nick's website and you understand that that he is a hard driving pragmatic goal oriented solution finder who is also just a 'regular guy." He is a Wyoming Democrat, which means that he is an independent thinker and as such will be an effective advocate for all Wyoming Citizens. He believes that our government is broken and that you are either part of the problem or part of the solution. He contends that our current representation in Washington has proven to be part of the problem and he lays out solutions which he believes will fix Washington and help Wyoming. He is 'Wyoming Tough" and we are excited with his candidacy and are working hard to send him to Washington D.C. so he can show those folks a thing or two.

Chris Rothfuss: Chris is a man with the rare combination of brilliant intellect, levelheaded common sense, global vision and local practicality and we are privileged to have him as our US Senate Candidate. We are working hard to send him to Washington D.C. to finally build a comprehensive Energy Policy for the United States. A recent WyoFile story: "The Perfect Candidate You Never Heard Of" said it best: "Polite and professional, Rothfuss actually has a lot more experience and a few more years under his belt than appearances suggest. Whether you've heard it or not, Rothfuss is the Wyoming Democratic Party's nominee for the seat currently occupied by two-term Republican Senator Mike Enzi….The unfortunate thing is that this guy really deserves a look, but if history and the realities of modern campaign finances are any indication, he probably won't get it." "…Rothfuss said his service in the Senate would take advantage of his own set of unique skills: energy and diplomacy. 'My specialty is in the energy field,' said Rothfuss. 'That's a background and strength I would like to take to Washington. I think it would serve us all well to have some expertise in Congress.' The U.S., he said, has to come to terms with what dependence on foreign sources of energy is doing to the country's security and long-term financial health. 'We have to develop domestic sources of energy,' he said. 'That includes an emphasis on efficiency, alternatives – including nuclear – and an enhancement of the power grid and storage capacity. It also means that we have to develop ways to use domestic oil and coal reserves in a way that doesn't ignore our duty as stewards of the environment.' Toward that end, Rothfuss wants to develop a 50-year national energy policy to replace the 'haphazard' approach the country has used, with a goal of eliminating dependence on foreign oil within 10 years. 'With planning, we can do that," he said. "The economic and security implications are staggering…and disastrous if we simply continue to ignore the problem.'" Well said, Chris!

Chairman John Millin John served as the state party's treasurer and secretary and has worked extensively at the grassroots level in Wyoming chairing the largest county party organization in the state. He was elected as the Chairman of the Wyoming Democratic Party in April 2007, promising to increase the capacity of the Wyoming Democratic Party by recruiting grassroots candidates, mobilize Democrats across the state, and match the Democratic National Committee's strategy of competing in all 50 states by competing for each of Wyoming's 23 counties. He accepted the challenge with limitless enthusiasm and has honored those commitments. We look forward to vigorous political races in every county addressing and winning on the issues that matter most to the citizens of Wyoming

Contact: Lauri Kay Elbing
Communications Director
307-634-3367 (office)
307-277-1187 (cell)
lauri@wyomingdemocrats.com

WYOMING FOR OBAMA HQ opens in Casper

I won't be in Wyoming today, but the rest of you will. Here's some news from the Wyoming for Obama campaign:

The Obama for America campaign is establishing its Wyoming headquarters in Casper this week and invites the community to an Open House tomorrow, Friday September 12, from 5 p.m.-8 p.m. at the new headquarters on 114 W. 2nd Street.

“Senator Obama’s message of change in Washington is resonating with the people of Wyoming and we are enthusiastic about being a part of this historic campaign,” said Michelle Sullivan, Wyoming State Director for the Obama campaign.

Supporters of the Obama-Biden campaign will have access to lawn signs and other materials at the Casper office. They can also volunteer for the effort to create change in Washington by electing Barack Obama as President of the United States.

CONTACT: Michelle Sullivan, State Director, (307) 752-7223.

P.S.: Casperites Dick (Veep) and Lynne Cheney (Veepette) and Rep. Barbara Cubin (lame duck) not expected to attend.

National Arts Conference in Chattanooga

View of river from Hunter Museum balcony. I'm in Chattanooga for the annual National Assembly of State Arts Agencies conference.

BOREAL by D.L. Butterfield in front of Hunter Museum. This is a bronze sculpture with a patina that makes it appear to be wood. Chattanooga is populated with an amazing array of public artworks.

Artsy cloud at sunset over Tenn. River looks like a big-headed dog. Maybe it's just my imagination -- but that's the point, isn't it?

Entrance to the Hunter Art Museum. Public art is everywhere. And the museum collection is pretty good, too.

Canvass for Lori Millin Sept. 21

Rep. Lori Millin is organizing a district-wide canvass on Sunday, September 21, in Cheyenne. She needs your help to distribute new campaign literature to every house in her district (No. 8).


Meet at Lori's house, 308 Stetson Drive, at 12:30 p.m. and walk the neighborhoods from 1-4 p. We will provide all the supplies and feed everyone after we are done. All you need to do is show up in comfortable clothes and good walking shoes. If you, or someone you know, are able to help please let me know. Thanks!

Poll: Nick Carter closing in on Barrasso

This good news comes from the Nick Carter for Senate campaign:

The Public Policy Group, an independent polling company out of North Carolina, conducted a poll of over 1,600 Wyomingites over the course of two days asking likely voters about where they stood on the issues and who they would be voting for in November.

I am encouraged by the results: John Barrasso: 42%; Nick Carter: 39%; Undecided: 19%

This tells me two things:
1. Nick Carter is just three points away from kicking out John Barrasso and bringing real solutions to the people of Wyoming;
2. With 19% of Wyoming voters undecided, we all have work to do to convince as many of those 19% to vote for Nick.

This means knocking on doors, talking to your neighbors, and making phone calls for the campaign on our easy and convenient virtual phonebanking system. The poll also confirmed what Nick Carter have discovered through knocking on doors, visiting senior centers, and spending time with veterans at VFW halls: the people of Wyoming are sick of the culture of corruption in Washington and they see Senator John Barrasso as an emblem of that corruption. Wyoming voters are a very intelligent and independent group of people who do not want those who represent them to vote straight party line.

Unlike my opponent, I will work with Republicans, Democrats, and Independents to solve tough issues like energy, the economy, and immigration. We have a real shot at this, but we need your help to close the three point gap.

John Barrasso has raised over $2 Million from lobbyists and Washington D.C. special interests and is ready to use it. I need your help to show those 19% of undecided voters that we need serious change in Wyoming.

Multi-faith 9/11 event in Laramie

This comes from the always energetic Nancy Sindelar in Laramie:

Thursday, September 11, Laramie: Multi-faith Peace Prayer Procession and Potluck. People of the Christian, Jewish, Muslim and those of any or no faith are invted to walk in prayer to mark the seven years since September 11th, 2001. Bring food and a prayer. 6:30 PM, Peace Pole at Washington Park on the Sheridan St. side for procession, 7 PM, Mayor's proclamation, Islamic Center, 7th & Garfield Sts., 7:25 PM, Sunset and breaking bread. Info: Sally, 742-0471, RevSal@compuserve.com, Sadrul, ulas@uwyo.edu, 721-3065, Wendy, 745-0840. Free

Morons 'R' Us: O'Reilly & Rove

From The Daily Show:

"Jesus was a community organizer"

This great quote comes from the blogs RK and Anonymous is A Woman in Virginia, and is a reference to Republican slams against community organizers, a term Repubs utter with a sneer:

"As a committed Christian, I was deeply offended by Sarah Palin and the Republican delegates mocking and belittling community organizers the other night. Jesus was a community organizer. Pontius Pilate was a Governor." -- Diane Rehm Show, 9/5/08

Sojourners' Jim Wallis also weighs in on this issue with "Palin owes some good people an apology." To read his Sept. 5 column, go to http://blog.beliefnet.com/godspolitics/2008/09/palin-owes-some-good-people-an.html